A Scarier Zika

A single mutation may make the virus more devastating to newborns

HEALTH

UESLE IMARCELINO/REUTERS

THE ABNORMALLY SMALL HEADS seen among children infected with the Zika virus have haunted many of the people who live in regions where mosquitoes carry the pathogen, including the U.S., South America, Africa and Southeast Asia. It turns out that a single genetic change in the virus may be responsible.

The defect, known as microcephaly, wreaks all kinds of physical and developmental havoc. Children with microcephaly may have seizures, hearing loss, difficulty seeing or mov- ing, and may not learn to sit, stand or walk at the same rate as other children. They may also have intel- lectual disabilities. At least 3,000 children around the world have been born with microcephaly or another Zika-related brain birth defect.

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